FOLLOWING this week’s announcement that a remarkable net total of over £230,000 has been raised through our 2017 Christmas Appeal, Celtic FC Foundation are delighted to confirm this has been our most successful to date, with more people than ever being helped.
This is due the outstanding generosity and collective effort of so many people including supporters, the club, the manager, players, directors, trustees, partners, sponsors and funders.
To ensure your efforts make a genuine difference this Christmas, all monies collected have already been distributed to those who need it most. In summary:
– Local families with children £87k
– Local OAPs £5k
– Children’s charities £50k
– Women’s Aid charities £11k
– Homeless, refugees, other vulnerable groups £77k
As well as direct donations, we held eight key fundraising initiatives this year:
– Our inaugural Hail Hail Trail from September 26 – November 6 (£10k)
– Founding Fathers’ Fast on Monday, November 6 (£1k)
– Celtic Sleep Out, Glasgow on Saturday, November 11 (£35k)
– Our first Celtic Sleep Out, London on Friday, November 24 (£10k)
– Our annual bucket collection on Saturday, December 2 (£13k)
– The Ghirls for Good ladies event on Saturday, December 2 (£22k)
– eBay Auction from December 7-12 (£7.7k)
– Light up the Clover on Wednesday, December 13 (£5k)
The backing we received in every area has been just incredible and, as a result and in honour of our founding fathers, we have now assisted a total of 435 local families who are faced with poverty and hardship. Santa is on his way to those homes and the magic of Christmas is well and truly alive.
We also helped 50 local pensioners through the provision of hampers and supermarket vouchers.
In addition, donations been provided to a host of charities who support those experiencing homelessness or other disadvantage, primarily in Glasgow and the West but also in Belfast, Dublin, London and Ottowa.
We hosted two Christmas parties at Celtic Park for approximately 600 local primary school children, including gifts. The schools were St Anne’s, Quarrybrae, Dalmarnock, St Denis’, Haghill, Saracen, St Teresa’s, St Mungo’s, St Roch’s, Barmulloch, Royston and St Thomas plus Keppoch and Royston nurseries.
As well as financial donations, we also received and passed on over 1,500 brand new toys and gifts.
A more detailed overview of the 2017 Christmas Appeal can be found HERE
Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: “Once again, I would like to thank everyone who has made this year’s Christmas Appeal such an overwhelming success.
“A commitment to a strong social and charitable dimension has defined Celtic ever since its formation and we are delighted today to continue to honour these origins by doing more than ever in offering assistance and support to those in need.
“It is very important at this time of year in particular to remember and care for those who are in need of some help, and we are delighted that through this appeal we are able to offer support some very deserving people.”
Tony Hamilton, Celtic FC Foundation Chief Executive, said: “Once again we are amazed by the generosity and backing we’ve had from so many people across the world. Our only aim through the Christmas Appeal is to help people at a hugely challenging time of year but we always rely on the kindness of others to do that.
“The Christmas Appeal is the Foundation’s focus for a couple of months every year and enormous credit is due to not only those who donated but our army of volunteers who helped us get to this point, and those who provided professional services and items for prize draws and auctions.
“Thank you for sharing the Spirit of Celtic this Christmas and thank you for making a difference to so many people’s lives. Have a very happy and peaceful Christmas.”
